Magnetic (21 page)

Chapter 23

“Hey, stranger.”

Layne smiled at Molly as she pulled another bag of groceries from her car. “It’s a hot day for biking. Want to come inside and have something cool to drink?”

“Lord, yes. I was sweating through my clothes before I got out of my own driveway.” Molly parked the bike and helped Layne with the groceries.

“Where’s Jenny?”

“Working. I probably won’t see her again until sometime in October,” Molly said with a laugh. “She’s been bitching about all she has to catch up with. And yet she balks when I say I want to go back to work.”

Layne set the bags on the kitchen counter and smiled. “She wants to keep you. Make life so you won’t have to go back to work.”

“I do work. I do all the laundry, cooking, and errand running. I want to go back into the workforce so I can take a break. Soda in the pantry or fridge?”

“Fridge,” Layne said as she began putting the canned goods away.

“Whose Lexus was in your driveway last night?” Molly asked casually.

“Alana’s.” That wasn’t a lie. It was Alana’s car Layne watched Stacy climb into the night before, which made her wonder if Stacy even owned one. These things Layne didn’t know, but she did know that grazing her teeth across Stacy’s neck drove her wild.

“Alana is Stacy’s cousin, right?” Molly said with something in her tone.

“Yes.” Layne closed the pantry.

Molly didn’t say anything but stared at Layne until she met her gaze. “I’ve heard you talk about Alana for years, but I’ve never met her face-to-face because you two don’t socialize.”

“Ronnie and I have talked, and—”

“Ronnie’s full of shit,” Molly said calmly. “We’ve talked to her, too, and listened to how magnanimous she’s being, but Jenny and I don’t believe a word of it. And you wouldn’t normally, either. It’s going to do something to her seeing you two together.”

“I know this is going to sound callous, but Stacy’s feelings have to factor in here, too. When Ronnie claimed it was all just sex, that’s what she believed. She didn’t want anything more with Ronnie.”

“And she does with you? All indicators are she’s a player. She only wanted Ronnie for sex, and don’t forget the way you met her. You had a night of no-strings-attached sex. If she had any decency after knowing how close you and Ronnie are, she’d back away. I deeply resent her for that.”

“You say all this, but you haven’t talked to her. You don’t know anything about her feelings or mine for that matter.”

“Feelings?” Molly said softly. “Honey, you just got out of a six-year relationship. I know it wasn’t perfect and you were destined to split up, but that has to be messing with your mind. Layne, take a step back and look at the big picture. You’re rebounding, Stacy’s doing whatever, and when you finally come to your senses, you might find that you’ve alienated one of your closest friends over nothing.”

“Or,” Layne raised a hand, “it may all work out.”

“I sincerely hope so, but I’m on the outside looking in, and what I see is impending disaster. I want you to be happy. I can’t help but want to protect you.”

“And I love you for that,
Mol
, but this is one time where you’re going to have to stand aside and let things run their course.”

*******

Layne glanced at the clock on the stove as she sliced a bell pepper. She was preparing the first real meal in her new kitchen and was looking forward to sharing it with Stacy despite the conversation she’d had with Molly earlier.

They’d parted on good terms with the usual hug and kiss, but what Molly had said stuck in Layne like a thorn. She’d tried to reason that had she been in Molly’s shoes, all of it would’ve appeared the same to her. Like Layne, common sense appealed to Molly, and neither of them could be described as gamblers when it came to important things. So it made no sense to Molly that Layne was willing to roll the dice.

Molly, probably more than the rest, was sensitive to the close bond they all shared because their relationships had all been tested over the previous year when she’d been ill. Jenny, though they weren’t officially married, had been the dutiful wife, but Layne and Ronnie had shown equal dedication, taking every step with Molly. They’d often spoke of being a family, but the last year had proven that to be true, Layne surmised as she tossed the vegetables into the wok on top of the shrimp. And Molly would war against anything that threatened the four.

Layne checked the rice as she heard a soft knock on the front door. She and Stacy had planned to talk, and that was it. The idea sounded good the night before when she had been thoroughly satiated, but the thought of seeing Stacy made parts of her body heartily disagree.

“You’re right on time.” Layne opened the door with a smile that turned to a look of surprise as she looked past Stacy. “Is that your…”

“Bike?” Stacy looked over her shoulder at the motorcycle sitting in the drive. “My Maserati’s in the shop,” she quipped when she noticed the flummoxed expression on Layne’s face. “I take it you don’t ride.”

“Uh, no.” Layne closed the door. “What do you do when it rains?”

“I get wet.” Stacy smiled and kissed Layne on the lips. “What’re you cooking?”

“Shrimp stir-fry.” Layne dashed into the kitchen to check on their dinner. “So the bike thing…does that mean you hang out in dive bars and eat the toes off of small children?”

“Only on Tuesdays,” Stacy said with a cocky smile. “It’s a cheap mode of transportation and something I always wanted to try.”

“You’re very brave. New Orleans drivers are a unique breed.”

“I’ll reserve comment until I ride with you.”

Layne grinned. “I’m nothing compared to Alana.”

“Thank God for that. She thinks none of the rules apply to her. The car is either parked or doing eighty. There’s no in between.” Stacy picked up the plates as Layne filled them and moved everything to the table.

“I’m not nearly as bad as that. I’ll at least drop down to seventy,” Layne said with a smirk. “Iced tea, soda, or wine?”

“Water. I’d like to keep my wits about me this evening.” Stacy’s gaze flittered over Layne’s body, and she sighed. “We agreed to spend our time talking.”

“Yes, we did.” Layne pushed the wine aside and filled two glasses with ice water. “So where do you see yourself a year from now?” she asked as she took a seat at the table.

Stacy blinked for a second. “Is this a job interview?”

“It’s a logical question,” Layne said with a shrug. “You’ve admitted to being nomadic, and I just wondered if you planned to put down roots here.”

Stacy smiled. “I don’t roam if I’m happy.”

Layne looked thoughtful as she chewed. “You’re not much of a planner, are you?”

“Nope, I’m a take-life-as-it-happens kind of girl.” Stacy skewered a shrimp and looked at Layne. “What’re your dreams?”

“They tend to change the older I get. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a rock star,” Layne said with a chuckle. “In college, I wanted to travel the globe, but since I’m on a plane so often, I guess I just look forward to the day I don’t have to work and can find a place on the water.”

“I always wanted my own private island. A place where I could spend the day outside naked if I wanted to. No neighbors, no engine noises, just the sound of the waves on the shore and the sand beneath my feet.”

“And in the crack of your butt if you’re gonna go around naked.”

Stacy pointed her fork at Layne and grinned. “Don’t mess with my fantasy.”

Layne held up her hands in surrender. “Sand fleas, that’s all I’m saying.” She shook the mental image of Stacy’s bare skin tanned by the sun. “What about kids?”

“I’ve heard of them, but I understand they bite and fling poo like monkeys, so I keep my distance.” Stacy smiled wistfully when Layne laughed. “Anna wanted kids. We talked about it a lot.” Her expression turned serious. “I’m almost thankful that something always seemed to come up that prevented us from trying. I don’t think I could’ve handled that on my own. What about you?”

“I think about it from time to time. Will you tell me about Anna if it’s not too painful?”

Stacy took a sip of her water and stared into the glass. “She was the most determined, hardheaded, stubborn mule of a woman I’d ever seen when she was at work. She knew what she wanted, and nothing would stop her until she got it. But with me, she was totally different. She used to say she could fight the whole world if she could just come home to me. I loved taking care of her, making sure she ate when she was totally distracted with something she was working on. Sometimes, we’d turn off the phone, close the blinds, and just pretend the outside world didn’t exist. I was her own private island, and there was nothing more important to me than that.” Stacy blinked and looked away. “Tell me about Olivia,” she said abruptly.

“She was the most determined, hardheaded, stubborn ass of a woman all the time.” Layne tried to lighten the mood. “To be fair, she did have some good points, but I can’t remember any of those.”

“Ronnie painted much the same picture.”

Layne nodded. “I knew Ronnie, Jenny, and Molly didn’t like her, but I didn’t realize how much until I admitted to them that I wanted out. They cheered.”

“They wanted someone better for you.”

“Yes, they did,” Layne said with a sigh.

Stacy looked down at the table. “How is Ronnie?”

“She’s okay. We talked and ironed things out between us, but I haven’t heard much from her lately.” Layne pushed her plate aside and took a sip of her water. “This wouldn’t be so hard, I suppose, if you’d been one of her usual flings, but she liked you. She says it’s okay with her if I see you, but I know it hurts her and it hurts me.”

“Is it too much, too painful to see me? Would you rather I leave you alone?”

Layne thought for a moment. “That would make things easier for everyone else…but not me.”

“Me either,” Stacy admitted.

“I don’t know what it is about you, Stacy
Mayeaux
.” Layne shook her head and propped her chin in her hand with a sigh.

“Maybe it’s not me. Maybe you’re just spreading your wings, so to speak.”

“No, it’s you,” Layne said with a smile. “I look at you, and propriety goes right out the door. I’m beginning to believe in the charm Alana says the
Mayeaux
women have. That’s how I feel, like someone has cast a spell over me. I can rationalize and war against it all I want, but the pull is too strong to fight.”

“I feel exactly the same way,” Stacy said softly.

Layne inhaled deeply as she met Stacy’s gaze. “We’ve talked a lot.”

Stacy waved a finger. “I gave you my word that was all we were going to do tonight, so stop looking at me like that. I feel naked already.”

“This is one of the things I’m talking about,” Layne said as her brow furrowed. “My sexual appetite has never been this voracious.” She fisted her hands in her own shirt. “This isn’t me. Wait, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy sex, but this is something altogether different.”

Stacy sucked one of the ice cubes from her glass and chomped on the ice. “We’re on the same page here, too, and I’m just shy of dumping this water in my lap. But if we can’t enjoy each other’s company outside of the bedroom, then we’re going to have problems. Talk to me about something that isn’t sexual.”

“I like ice cream.”

“Good,” Stacy said with a nod. “What flavor?”

Layne put a hand to her forehead. “Not vanilla unless it has something in it or on it.”